In recent years, as typical examples of moving conveyances, electric vehicles using electric motors as driving sources as well as so-called hybrid cars having multiple kinds of driving sources such as electric motors and gasoline engines have been put to practical use. These electric vehicles and the like are equipped with a power storage unit such as batteries or capacitors for power storage for supplying electricity as energy to the electric motors or the like. For example, secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, such as nickel-cadmium batteries (Ni—Cd batteries), nickel-hydride batteries or lithium-ion batteries, are used as batteries.
In the case where secondary batteries are used as power storages, mounted on a vehicle is a power storage unit including a battery module having a plurality of stacked battery cells, and the battery module is housed in a battery case. The battery case, as well as the battery module and other internal components housed in the battery case are collectively referred to as a power storage unit.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a state in which a power storage unit 500 according to the background art implemented with secondary batteries is mounted on a vehicle. A console box (not shown) is disposed between a driver's seat (a seat 600 in FIG. 7) and a front passenger's seat (not shown) adjacent to each other in a transverse direction (direction X). Power storage unit 500 is housed in this console box. A battery module 510 in power storage unit 500 has a plurality of battery cells stacked in the direction (direction Y: a traveling direction of a moving conveyance) crossing the transverse direction.
In the vehicle shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of seat rods 620 serving as frame members extending in the transverse direction are provided in a seat section 610 of seat 600. These seat rods 620 each include a rod 622 extending in the transverse direction and an end plate 621 arranged on the both sides of rod 622. These seat rods 620 are provided to prevent seat 600 from being crushed in the event of a side crash of the vehicle. The same applies to the front passenger's seat not shown.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-90693 discloses a vehicle equipped with a power storage unit between the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat. Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 09-199094 and 06-029041, for example, each disclose a structure of a power storage unit.
In the vehicle having the above-described structure, since seat 600 has a plurality of seat rods 620 arranged at a predetermined pitch (P12) as described above, the seat will not be crushed in the event of a side crash of the vehicle, which ensures passenger safety. However, in the event of a crash, seat rods 620 will be pushed and moved sideways as they are. Seat rods 620 abut against power storage unit 500 disposed at the side of seat 600, which may cause damage to power storage unit 500.
It should be noted that a problem similar to the foregoing will arise not only in a vehicle, but also in a moving conveyance with a power storage unit arranged and structured similarly.